SHSC has delivered our 2019-20 City Budget Recommendation Portfolio to Mayor Jenny Durkan's office. Members have been working together since January to develop the recommendations. Following the repeal of the Employee Hours tax, our Mayor and City Council members will face the challenge of how to invest in solutions at the scale of the challenges faced by Seattle residents.

Do you think council should continue AND increase these investments? Your voice will be essential to making that happen. Review the portfolio and stay tuned for advocacy training and other opportunities

Highlights

2016:

SHSC's City Budget Task Force has delivered to the Mayor's Office, a portfolio of SHSC members' recommendations of what we need to do in the 2017-18 budget to come closer to our shared vision of a just and thriving community--one where all Seattle residents can reach their full potential.

2014: SHSC representatives presented Mayor Murray with the SHSC’s package of 2015-16 City of Seattle Budget Recommendations for a Just and Thriving Community in August and are meeting with each member of City Council in September. The 2015-16 package has a new central organizing question, one we heard many city councilmembers ask us last fall: “What would it take to move the needle?” That is, what are the actions needed in order to see positive changes in our communities. This package was also developed in a new way. We focused on reducing racial disproportionality in outcomes and reducing the negative effects of the artificial silos of services into which the system has traditionally been organized. Get a complete copy.

2013: For 2014, SHSC recommends budget policy that will first maintain current services, which are still urgently needed, and second, implement a very focused package of increased investments to mitigate the ongoing impact of the recession on Seattle’s most vulnerable residents.

2012: SHSC Advocates enlightened Seattle’s Mayor and City Council members as to the importance of help right now for Seattle residents to meet basic human needs. Despite 2013-14 being a budget year with no new funds, the Mayor proposed $3,650,397 in new funding in 2013 and $4,959,512 in 2014 for community health and human services. City Council voted to adopt those new funds and add an additional $1,770,000 in 2013 and $2,317,290 in 2014.

Supporters for the 2012 City of Seattle Human Services Budget.

2012: Despite 2012 being a budget year with a $25M shortfall, SHSC members advocacy resulted in a budget proposal by the Mayor with no cuts to funding for community health and human services, and new funding for immigrant and refugee youth, over $1M new dollars to maintain current services, and new funding for community organizing in communities of color. City Council also restored funding for the Lettuce Link program and made significant additions of funding for services from our Tier 2 recommendations, for a total of over $2million in new general fund expenditures in 2012.>>Read more...

2009: In a year that required tens of millions of cuts SHSC successfully restored $1.3 million in human services funding for City of Seattle coordination of food banks and meal programs, advocacy and capacity building for human service nonprofits, young adult interventions designed to prevent involvement with the criminal justice system, resulting in NO CUTS in community health and human services in the City for 2010.

2008: Seattle City Council takes your advice and adds $4.5 million to the Mayor’s budget for 2008 >> Read more...

2007 - 2008: City Budget Increases Investment in People. Seattle City Council voted November 20, 2006 with the net result that, for the first time in years, we have a significant increase in funding to help Seattle residents meet their basic human needs >> Read more...

Coalition saves $2.7 million from City of Seattle budget cuts >> Read more...

City of Seattle Policy Work

SHSC members, community leaders and concerned residents work together on the following key actions:

Educating policy-makers on current issues within the human services community.

Writing and publishing op-eds on issues and actions affecting the achievement of basic human needs in the Seattle community.

SHSC monitors and analyzes City of Seattle policies that affect resident’s abilities to meet their basic human needs. This information is used to help build awareness in the general public, provide guidance on budget priorities to elected officials of Seattle.

Distribute information and gather feedback on city, county, state and federal policies which affect meeting basic human needs.

Build upon partnership with the City of Seattle Departments, Mayor’s Office and City Council.